Penguins lead the Canadiens 3-1 in the second period of the 2nd of their back to back preseason games at Montreal. Crosby and a few others who played last night are not playing tonight, although some who did play yesterday like Sykora, Espo and Christensen are playing. Malkin is centering the top line tonight. Dany Sabourin starting between the pipes for Pittsburgh.

Whitney and Latendresse just went to the box for fighting. Sykora just scored earlier too. I think Sykora is going to have a great year on this team.

Josh or Dipso, if you see this in time, this game can also be heard (like last night's game) over the internet at www.cjad.com

Edit: Game now over, Penguins win, 5-2. Malkin had a goal and I think he may have had an assist too.

I hope Sykora is ok, Orpik missed Koivu and instead accidentally elbowed Sykora, they said he was bleeding, I dunno how bad it was tho.

Pens game on saturday vs. Detroit will be able to be seen online at www.pittsburghpenguins.com. The site is streaming the game live. Can't wait to watch. Sykora will not play though due to his broken nose. He should be back next week though for the preseason games against Buffalo.

ASIAGO, Italy – Darcy Robinson, a Canadian playing for Asiago of the Italian hockey league, died during Thursday's season-opening game. He was 26.

The native of Kamloops, B.C., fell to the ice without being hit during the first period of a game with Renon and was rushed to a local hospital where he died, Asiago said. No cause of death was given. The game was suspended.

Robinson was beginning his second season with Asiago. The defenceman, who held dual Canadian-Italian citizenship, played junior hockey in Saskatoon and Red Deer. He was selected 233rd overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 1999 draft.

Prior to playing in Italy, Robinson played for the AHL's Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and the ECHL's Wheeling Nailers.

He had six goals and three assists with 66 penalty minutes for Asiago last season.

That was a hell of a game. BUF 6 PIT 5. Glad I could watch it on NHL TV. Malkin looked as good as I have ever seen him look as a Penguin and if there was just another two or three tenths of a second left on the clock he would have sent us into OT, he one timed a Gonch pass right into the goal just a split second after time had expired. Malkin was really dominant in this game...making plays and drawing penalties. Crosby was also really strong, Sid had a 3 point night. Darryl Sydor is a POS, he's done, I dont know why we signed him. After tonight, I have questions about whether Dany Sabourin can back up the Flower....6 goals ouch, poor night for Sabourin. Roy for the Sabres is on an unbelievable hot streak in the preseason. Tallinder was also impressive for Buffalo.

Staal takes veteran under wing
Sykora, 30, appreciates the assistance from 19-year-old forward
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
By Shelly Anderson, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
During a couple down moments between drills at Penguins practice yesterday, Jordan Staal conferred with new teammate and even newer linemate Petr Sykora. They exchanged thoughts, hand gestures and nods.

"We were just working on little things that make the team better, off the draws and stuff," Staal said afterward. "We're doing most of the same stuff, but [Sykora] wasn't here last year."

Imagine a 19-year-old who has once again been asked to shuffle from center to left wing, this time on his team's top forward line, helping explain the whys and wherefores of the Penguins' forechecking strategies to a 30-year-old veteran who broke into the NHL when Staal was barely 7 and has scored more NHL goals (247) than Staal has lived in months (229).

Sykora, a right winger, was happy for the chance to work on the new line's chemistry.

"I've been in the league for a while, and I try to get used to new players as soon as possible," said Sykora, who signed with the Penguins in July and was united with Staal Monday when coach Michel Therrien reshaped his four lines following a roster cut. "It's a good fit for us."

At the beginning of training camp, Therrien said he liked Staal at his natural position, center. Once the roster was settled and with the season opener Friday at Carolina fast approaching, the coach had a change in philosophy.

Although he played a lot on the wing as a rookie last year, Staal expects he'll need a period of adjustment, one that could be accelerated by the caliber of his linemates.

"It's pretty easy to play left wing with two players like that," he said.

Staal has made a lot of things look easy.

A year ago, he was considered a long shot to make the team out of training camp since he was just a few weeks past his 18th birthday and a few months beyond being selected second overall in the draft.

But he did. He also made it beyond the NHL's 10-game window for being returned to his junior team.

He went on to become a finalist for the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year, had 29 goals, 42 points, and set all kinds of league standards for rookies and young players.

Staal set rookie records and led the league with seven short-handed goals and a .221 shooting percentage. He led his team with a plus-minus rating of plus-16. He became the youngest NHL player to score two short-handed goals in a game, to score on a penalty shot and to get a hat trick. He was the third-youngest to reach 20 goals, the fifth-youngest to score in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

And yet just about a year ago, he was in the same position as defenseman Kris Letang -- a young player just trying to keep his head above water in training camp and have a shot to make the team. Both were on the opening-night roster, but Letang was returned to junior during the 10-game window.

This year, Letang did not survive the cut Monday and was sent to the minor leagues.

"It's a tough spot trying to make this team, especially with the players we have right now," Staal said. "As for me, I still have to keep playing like [I did last season]; otherwise, I could get sent down, too."

He's far from that right now, skating on the top line.

At 6 feet 4, 220 pounds and possibly still filling out, Staal gives the No. 1 line a heaping helping of size that could be useful, especially if he can establish himself in front of the net to chip in goals, tie up defenSeimian and distract goaltenders.

"That's going to be a big part of his job, to create some room in front of the net," Crosby said. "I'm sure that's what he expects to do."

Sure, as long as he doesn't get overwhelmed by the idea of skating with probably the world's best player.

"I think most players are kind of nervous with him," Staal said of Crosby. "Obviously, he's going to find you. It's just a matter of finding openings."

NOTES -- Vancouver claimed defenseman Mike Weaver off waivers. Weaver, who signed as a free agent in the summer, was exposed to waivers Monday when the Penguins reassigned him to their Wilkes-Barre/Scranton farm team. ... Players and coaches will attend the annual Chamber of Commerce luncheon today at the Marriott City Center.

so your gonna have staal playing with crosby, yikes, that can only mean bad things for everybody else, especially the flyers. Of your 3 young guns staal is the one i would most like to have on my team.

so your gonna have staal playing with crosby, yikes, that can only mean bad things for everybody else, especially the flyers. Of your 3 young guns staal is the one i would most like to have on my team.

To the start the season (at least initially)...yes...the first line will be Staal-Crosby-Sykora. Sykora is a pretty good shooter, he can take advantage of Sid's wizardry and Staal can bang stuff home sitting in front of the net and also working the boards, he's a bull in a china shop and is still growing. He was paired with Crosby in one of the Buffalo preseason games and they played very well together.

Let me get this straight though, you would prefer Staal over Malkin and Crosby? Staal is a good player, but come on. Why do you feel that way?

To the start the season (at least initially)...yes...the first line will be Staal-Crosby-Sykora. Sykora is a pretty good shooter, he can take advantage of Sid's wizardry and Staal can bang stuff home sitting in front of the net and also working the boards, he's a bull in a china shop and is still growing. He was paired with Crosby in one of the Buffalo preseason games and they played very well together.

Let me get this straight though, you would prefer Staal over Malkin and Crosby? Staal is a good player, but come on. Why do you feel that way?

If push came to shove - i'd probably keep staal over malkin. Staal reminds me of "playoff" john madden.

Let me get this straight though, you would prefer Staal over Malkin and Crosby? Staal is a good player, but come on. Why do you feel that way?

work ethic, and the fact that hes not a suck, im sorry crosby is talented and everything but hes a friggin cry baby, yes he has to deal with alot of **** but come on. Hes everything a hate about daniel breierre but twice as much, talent and cry baby wise. malkin reminds me of a jagr or a nedved, has great skills but is just a floater, where as staal works his ass off every shift out there. so yes id take him in a heart beat.

All I am saying is that 15 years worth of extreme back pain PLUS cancer sapped more out of Mario than three hundreths of a point per game.

Plus, Bob (or even his Mom) could center a checking line for the 80s Oilers and be a point per game player. Wayne was a super player, but in terms of pure, sheer talent, he was inferior to Mario.

In terms of pure sheer talent, sure Mario was number one. HOWEVER when it comes to the mental aspect of the game, Wayne was the best ever. I don't think we will ever see a Wayne Gretzky again. I mean the guy KNEW what was going to happen 2-3 plays down the line, that's pretty much unheard of around hockey. Nobody will have Gretzky's hockey sense, not even Mario and it shows on the stat sheet. I'm sorry that Mario couldn't play to his full ability because of back problems and cancer but the fact he didn't play as much shouldn't take away anything from Gretzky. That's like me saying Terrell Davis is better than Jim Brown or Walter Payton because he didn't play as much games. Let's get another thing straight, just because Wayne played for the Oilers shouldn't be less of an achievement either. Let's use Terrell Davis as an example again, should his accomplishment of what he did in the Super Bowl years be less of an accomplishment because he played on a great offensive line? In my opinion NO but according to your logic on Wayne being with the Oilers it should.

In terms of pure sheer talent, sure Mario was number one. HOWEVER when it comes to the mental aspect of the game, Wayne was the best ever. I don't think we will ever see a Wayne Gretzky again. I mean the guy KNEW what was going to happen 2-3 plays down the line, that's pretty much unheard of around hockey. Nobody will have Gretzky's hockey sense, not even Mario and it shows on the stat sheet. I'm sorry that Mario couldn't play to his full ability because of back problems and cancer but the fact he didn't play as much shouldn't take away anything from Gretzky. That's like me saying Terrell Davis is better than Jim Brown or Walter Payton because he didn't play as much games. Let's get another thing straight, just because Wayne played for the Oilers shouldn't be less of an achievement either. Let's use Terrell Davis as an example again, should his accomplishment of what he did in the Super Bowl years be less of an accomplishment because he played on a great offensive line? In my opinion NO but according to your logic on Wayne being with the Oilers it should.

We have had this argument numerous times, but I will respond to these points you made.

I agree with you that Wayne was No. 1 in terms of the mental game. Mario was great at that too, I mean after all, he made 50 goal scorers out of Robbie Brown and Warren Young (who later went to Detroit and was a complete nobody), but I do not dispute that Wayne was the best at the mental game. I am glad that you agree that Mario was the finest hockey talent ever.

I believe your analogy with TD and our OL is inapposite. You said should his accomplishments during the SB years be less due to the great OL? It is not so much that it degrades TD, because TD was great with or without the line, but they certainly enhanced his game, no question there. He was still, without question, a truly elite player, with or without the line, but likewise, he was undoubtedly an even greater player with the line. The same would be true with Wayne...no one is saying he is a scrub, or just a really good player, he was a great, great player who was a generational talent, but you cannot say that the Oilers didn't help him reach those amazing highs in points during the 80s. He got past the 200 pt. plateau a few times, if he was on an average team (like say..the Penguins of the 80s), there is no doubt he still would have been a huge beast, but not the type of beast that he was on the Oilers. Lemieux never had this type of supporting cast...with the exception of possibly the 1993 Penguins (even that great team was not of the caliber of the 80s Oilers), and not surprisingly that year, despite missing several games due to and becoming weakened because of radiation therapy, he scored 160 points in only 60 games!!

We have discussed this issue for hours already on IM, there is no way we will ever agree on this, dude. I think the most we have agreed on so far is about as best as we will ever get too: Mario had more sheer talent than anyone that ever played, Wayne had the best hockey sense/mental game than anyone who ever played.